Hairspray | Movie Reviews + Features | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper Movie Reviews + Features By Harry Kloman Perhaps the best thing one can say about Hairspray, the film version of the Tony-winning stage musical, is that no one in the cast stands out because everyone does. That's fortunate, because Adam Shankman's direction is pretty bad, and so is the editing, which chops up the musical numbers (choreographed by Shankman) into pieces so small, they leave you starving. For a throwback musical, Hairspray doesn't reach back far enough: It was Fred Astaire who taught us to photograph dancers on film in full body, to allow viewers to appreciate their work. To be fair, many numbers in Hairspray move back and forth between multiple locations to balance and contrast its themes, jokes and story lines. Make that "story lines": Its plot is as thin as its leading ladies -- make that "ladies" -- are not. Still, if Rob Marshall could figure out how to film Chicago, then someone could have figured out Hairspray.

The saga of Hairspray began in 1988, when the filthy dirty cult director John Waters assaulted the mainstream with his original (and nonmusical) comedy, set in 1962 Baltimore, about a popular TV dance show and the hefty teen-age hoofer, Tracy Turnblad, who integrates it. For Waters, it was pure summer camp, with his muse, the enormous drag queen Divine (let us bow our heads), as Tracy's mother, Edna. In 2002, that film became a stage musical, with Harvey Fierstein as Edna. Now, with the screen adaptation of that musical, it's John Travolta's turn to wear lipstick and a dress, plus a bit of a fat suit. (Travolta left his Tony Manero physique behind him decades ago.) He's fine here, dancing spryly, although he gives Edna a bizarre voice, part Southerner, part surfer dude. Some of his co-stars go supernova in terms of their image. Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden and Christopher Walken play against their types, while gently parodying them, to sing and dance.

Queen Latifah is a lovely presence, and Taylor Parks and Elijah Kelley, as two black kids fighting for a piece of the dance floor, are electric. As Tracy, newcomer Nikki Blonsky gets poured into super-tight outfits that accentuate, let's say, her plus-sized voluptuousness. I hope there's a career out there for her. Waters' original film taught campy (but sincere) lessons about acceptance and freedom. This movie elevates them to an anthem: There's no kidding around here, or not much anyway. There are also no take-away songs, a phenomenon common to Broadway musicals lately. The best songs in Hairspray, like "Timeless to Me" and "Without Love," echo the '30s or Motown, and the music in general is postmodernly all over the place, with some Broadway standards and lots of faux rock 'n' roll. Call it Bye Bye Birdie meets Little Shop of Horrors, with not quite enough of either. It's certainly entertaining, and it's good to have on film. But just as a movie is never as good as the book, you really do need to see this on a stage in three dimensions.

Aab Starts Fri., July 20. Hairspray (2007) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 43 titles created 11 Dec 2012 a list of 38 titles created 30 Jul 2013 a list of 47 titles created 30 Nov 2015 a list of 24 titles created 09 Jan 2016 a list of 39 titles created 9 months ago Search for " Hairspray " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 3 Golden Globes.

Another 19 wins & 39 nominations. See more awards » Videos A 'pleasantly plump' teenager teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show. Director: John Waters The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular '70s group ABBA. Director: Phyllida Lloyd A princess, who is prepared to be wed, is sent away to New York by an evil queen, where she falls in love with a lawyer. Director: Kevin Lima 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.5/10 X As seniors in high school, Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future. Director: Kenny Ortega High School Musical (TV Movie 2006) Comedy | Drama | Family Troy and Gabriella - two teens who are worlds apart - meet at a karaoke contest and discover their mutual love for music.

Director: Kenny Ortega Mia Thermopolis has just found out that she is the heir apparent to the throne of Genovia. With her friends Lilly and Michael Moscovitz in tow, she tries to navigate through the rest of her 16th year. Director: Garry Marshall An overworked mother and her daughter do not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other's life for one freaky Friday. Director: Mark Waters School's out for summer and the East High Wildcats are ready to make it the time of their lives after landing jobs in a wealthy country club owned by Sharpay and Ryan's family. Director: Kenny Ortega Identical twins Annie and Hallie, separated at birth and each raised by one of their biological parents, later discover each other for the first time at summer camp and make a plan to bring their wayward parents back together. Director: Nancy Meyers Four best girlfriends hatch a plan to stay connected with one another as their lives start off in different directions: they pass around a pair of secondhand jeans that fits each of their bodies perfectly.

Director: Ken Kwapis Edit Storyline Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager with all the right moves, is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin, much to Tracy's mother Edna's dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. With all of the help of her friend Seaweed, Tracy makes it on the show, angering the evil dance queen Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma. Tracy then decides that it's not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of Seaweed, Link, Penny, Motormouth Maybelle, her father and Edna, she's going to integrate the show.....without denting her 'do! Written by leoprez1030 Did You Know? Trivia It wasn't until halfway through production that Michelle Pfeiffer realized that her character role was racist.

She became worried about what people would think, but director Adam Shankman calmed her down and she continued the movie. See more » Goofs On two occasions, a red 1963 Chevrolet is seen. They were not in production until the fall of 1962, but the movie is set in the spring. See more » Quotes [first lines] Tracy Turnblad : [singing] Oh, oh, oh, woke up today, feeling the way I always do. Oh, oh, oh, hungry for something that I can't eat. Then I hear that beat. That rhythm of town starts calling me down. It's like a message from high above. Oh, oh, oh, pulling me out to the smiles and the streets that I love. Good morning, Baltimore! Hairspray Tickets Hairspray Tickets Hairspray Tickets Hairspray the musical is an uplifting, entertaining musical which has been praised for all the elements of a stage-musical.

With music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by both Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, the book by Marl O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, plus an incredible cast, Hairspray has made a great impression on critics and audiences alike since its opening in 2002. The catchy songs and the 60's-inspired-choreography reflect the social restlessness of the period prevalent especially among the youth, and the confidence that positive change is around the corner. The excitement in the idea that modernity makes glamour accessible to everyone (hence the symbolism of "Hairspray") and that egalitarianism is a social manifestation of modernity, is conveyed extremely well in Hairspray.

View Hairspray Tickets Hairspray California Theatre Of The Performing Arts Hairspray Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Williams Theatre Hairspray Cities Latest Hairspray Events Date & Time Sat Feb 18 2017 View Tickets Sat Feb 18 2017 View Tickets Fri Jun 02 2017 View Tickets Sat Jun 03 2017 View Tickets Sun Jun 04 2017 View Tickets Thu Jun 08 2017 View Tickets Fri Jun 09 2017 View Tickets Sat Jun 10 2017 View Tickets Sat Jun 10 2017 View Tickets Sun Jun 11 2017 View Tickets The original Comedy film (with Sonny Bono and Divine) made in 1988 inspired later film and stage adaptations. The premier Broadway production of Hairspray took place in the summer of 2002. Called "sweet and infinitely spirited" by a notable critic, the musical received eight Tony Awards, including Awards for Best Score and Best Musical.

Hairspray set a new record in London's West End by being nominated for eleven Lawrence Olivier Awards, winning the category of Best New Musical besides three others. Apart from the Tony among the American distinctions, Hairspray has won three Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Music. Hairspray is set in Baltimore, Maryland; the year is 1962 when racial segregation is still practiced in the area. The protagonist Tracy Turnblad is a short, plump, teenage girl whose greatest asset is her pluck, and who ends up causing a tectonic shift in the racial dynamics of Baltimore - Her love of music and dancing ("it's like a drummer inside my heart"), her indestructible self-esteem ("I've got my Hairspray and radio/ and I'm ready to go!") and her optimism ("I love you Baltimore/ Every day's like an open door") - shape her persona as well as the musical's plot: Tracy avidly pursues stardom as a dancer on the Corny Collins Show, a local TV show wildly popular with youngsters. When she does win a role on the show, Tracy becomes an instant celebrity.

She begins a campaign to integrate the show and finds herself leading a local movement against racial segregation. The latest film version was released in 2007. Hairspray the '07 film has a star-studded cast with John Travolta, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfieffer. Hairspray broke the record for biggest sales at the premiere weekend for a movie musical, becoming the fourth highest grossing musical film in US cinema history. Hairspray the musical manages to be hysterically funny despite the fact that it recalls the sobering realities of segregation era American society - the humor helps to see the human angle, enhancing the import of the underlying message. This show is a must-see and is bound to be a memorable one! Hairspray Events Tickets Prices The average price for Hairspray Tickets start from $186. The minimum get in price is $54 for Hairspray Tickets at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Williams Theatre, Tulsa. For a detailed look at ticket prices and amazing discounts, visit our website.

Name Hairspray: A “Brand New Do” in Music Theatre Technology | Stage Whispers Books Hairspray: A “Brand New Do” in Music Theatre Technology Hairspray the Musical is visual and technological feast, a smorgasbord of bubblegum colours, brilliantly energetic song and dance, and animated cartoon landscapes behind which lie a level of technological prowess unprecedented in musical theatre. Lucy Graham spoke to Hairspray’s Creative Director Digital Content, Robbie Klaesi, about the technology behind the theatrical magic. Never before has a stage production engaged with technology to the extent Hairspray does. This is a completely new production to the shows on Broadway and in London’s West End. It is difficult to convey how impressive the multimedia concept, dreamt up by director David Atkins, is. The set design is almost exclusively relayed by enormous LED screens, which move around the stage in various combinations. As characters interact with animated landscapes generated across the screens, it is as though the performers exist within a cartoon world, and we are watching a movie.

Pre-show the audience gathers in front of the largest of the LED screens, measuring 9216mm wide x 4608mm high, on which footage from the 1960’s entertains and sets the scene. Once the show begins the screen suddenly breaks into three movable sections. A further eight smaller side screens, known as LED legs, are brought into play at each side of the stage, each measuring 1920mm wide and 7680mm high. Throughout the show the screens, manufactured by Bytecraft Superscreens, relay streetscapes, television studios, house interiors, a police van, a jail cell, 1960’s footage, as well as various funky fantasy-scapes. Stage performers open windows, activate the television, flick a light switch, and quite incredibly move in and out of the animation itself. Virtual shadows follow performers around, and at one point a character extends her arm behind the screen where it appears in animated technicolour! It is nothing short of astonishing. The question on everyone’s lips is how do they do it? How can live performers interact so intimately with animation? How are the various interactions triggered?

Can the performers see the media content from the rear of the screens? Graphic illustrator, Frantz Kantor devised the initial look of the show under the creative guidance of Production Designer, Eamon D’Arcy and Creative Director, Robbie Klaesi. The Hanna Barbara styled cartoon animation is not simply 1960s reminiscence, but acts as a metaphor. Just as the images portrayed in The Corny Collins Show on TV station WZZT bear no resemblance to the demographic reality of Baltimore, a theme running strongly through the script, neither do the animated sets reflect reality. The images are exaggerated in size and colour, with bent perspectives and tilted angles. These altered dimensions play with people’s perceptions just as television studio heavyweights try to disregard reality. Furthermore, by using the LED screens an enduring symbol of the 60s, the television, is elevated. Once Kantor’s visual artwork had been refined, the designs were turned over to a team of 6 animators at Digital Pulse for the next three months. Each scene was simulated in the Sydney studio prior to being flown down to Melbourne, ensuring motion graphics consistency across varying sized LED screens.

In total, a massive 3 terabytes of raw data was created during this process and over 600 hours of graphic rendering took place. Hairspray runs on a time coded click track which enables the musicians to play precisely the same tempo each night. In this way images and music are wedded together. In practice the click track is sent as an audible signal to musical director Stephen Amos. The commencement of each time track is cued by stage management, which in turn feeds the video playback console servers locking the vision to the orchestral tempo. But how does the time track allow for spontaneous interaction by the cast? ‘If there’s a number that’s going to pull applause we break them up so a pause is always possible,’ creative director of digital content, Robbie Klaesi explains. ‘Coming in and out of click is based on the cast’s interaction with the audience in mostly obvious places; it’s incredibly important to keep the show completely live at all times.’ In addition three cameras are integrated into the playback system, to allow for live pictures to appear within pictures, such as where the live action on stage at WTTZ television studio is pumped through to the television graphic in the Turnblads’ house on the other side of the stage.

The scale of the project has been a huge undertaking. Some 2,874 individual media objects, equivalent to half a terabyte of data, were loaded onto a massive video server. Using OnlyView software these included quicktime animations, stills graphics and sound effects. During rehearsals each media object on the timeline was replaced an average of 3.5 times before achieving the final result. Once rehearsals had begun in the theatre, the programming hours needed for further adjustments averaged 19-20 hours a day, 7 days a week for a 6 week period. ‘I am still tired today,’ confesses Klaesi. Klaesi was nominated for a Green Room award for his work on Hairspray. He credits close collaboration of Director David Atkins, Production Designer Eamon D’Arcy, and Technical Director Richard Martin, with the project’s success. One suspects a sense of humour, supreme patience, fortitude and the ability to thrive on very little sleep were other prerequisites! One of the challenges such precise technology threw up was the need to revisit the green screen to refigure images for each understudy, and combinations of performers.

This means that when characters emerge from behind the screen, or their arm appears as animation on the screen, the interaction occurs at the relevant height for each performer. The light generated by the LED screens posed particular challenges for lighting designer Trudy Dalgleish. The challenge was to ensure the performers were not lost in the vibrancy of the animation, and that the digitisedsets did not overpower stage lighting or cast, and blind the audience. The solution was to run the screens at 8% capacity of full brightness and adapt side lighting and follow spots to light performer’s faces. So what does one do after an undertaking such as Hairspray? Truth is the work on Hairspray continues for Klaesi. With preparations underway to move the entire show to the Lyric Theatre in Sydney, he has just learned the dimensions of the stage are a little deeper than the Princess Theatre stage. Add to that the possibility some understudy performers may move on to other work and the green screen beckons once more. About Robbie Klaesi Robbie was nominated for a Green Room award for his work on Hairspray. Klaesi’s working biography reads like a dream.

In Sydney he was Technical Manager for New Year’s Eve Celebrations (1990-2003), and responsible for the design and execution of “Eternity”, the iconic HarbourBridge effect. He executed the Closing Ceremony HarbourSpectacular for the Sydney Olympic Games (2000). As Technical Director for UN Independence Celebrations in East Timor (2003), Klaesi worked directly with Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos-Horta. He was Producer of Digital Media of the Opening Ceremonies for the Shanghai World Expo, the Vancouver Winter Games (2010), and Doha Asian Games (2006). The Sydney season of Hairspray commences at the Lyric Theatre, Star City on June 24. Photographer: Robbie Klaesi To keep up with the latest news and reviews at Stage Whispers, click here to like us on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . Our Previous Coverage.

Hairspray Hairspray by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and “downtown” rhythm and blues. In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show.[1] When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. She then launches a campaign to integrate the show. Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s The musical’s original Broadway production opened on August 15, 2002[2] and won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations. It ran for over 2,500 performances and closed on January 4, 2009.[3] Hairspray has also had U.S.

national tours, a London West End production and numerous foreign productions and was adapted for a 2007 musical film. The London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning for Best New Musical and in three other categories Setting: Baltimore, Maryland, June 1962 Act 1 As “pleasantly plump” teenager Tracy Turnblad lies in bed, she muses about her love for her hometown, her love of dancing, and her desire to be famous (“Good Morning Baltimore”). She goes to school and is given a warning for “inapppropriate hair height” After school, Tracy rushes home with her best friend, Penny, to catch the local teenage dance show, The Corny Collins Show (“The Nicest Kids in Town”). Edna, Tracy’s shy and plus-sized mother, is ironing and complains about the noise of the music coming from the television, while Penny’s mother, Prudy complains about it being race music. After an announcement that auditions for a place on the show will be held, Tracy begs her mother for permission to audition. Edna, fearing that Tracy will be laughed at due to her weight, refuses.

Penny and Amber (the main dancer on The Corny Collins Show) have similar arguments with their mothers (“Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now”). After gaining permission and support from her father, Wilbur, Tracy auditions for the show and bumps into teenage heartthrob, Link Larkin, which leads into a dream sequence (“I Can Hear the Bells”). Velma Von Tussle, the racist producer of The Corny Collins Show, rejects Tracy from the audition because of her size (“(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs”), as well as refusing a black girl, Little Inez. Back at school, Tracy is sent to detention for “cutting class” to go to the audition. There she meets black dancer, Seaweed J. Stubbs (the son of the host of Negro Day, Motormouth Maybelle), who teaches her several dance moves. She uses the new dance steps at the Sophomore Hop the following day to introduce herself to Corny Collins (“The Madison”). When Corny sees how well Tracy can dance, he gives her a place on the show (“The Nicest Kids in Town” (Reprise)).

During the broadcast, Link, following Corny’s suggestion, sings “It Takes Two” to Tracy, much to Amber’s dismay. After the show, Mr. Spritzer, the show’s worrisome sponsor, appeals to Velma over Tracy’s appointment to the Council. Velma, threatening to fire Corny from the show, is eventually left distraught and determines to ruin Tracy (“Velma’s Revenge”). At the Turnblad house, Edna is receiving calls from fans who saw Tracy on the show. A call comes in from Mr. Pinky, the owner of a plus-size dress shop, for an endorsement. Tracy pleads with her mother to come with her and to act as her agent although Edna has not left their apartment in years. Finally making it outside, Edna is given a huge makeover, as she is told, “Welcome to the 60’s” and Tracy becomes the spokes-girl for the shop. At school, signs of Tracy’s fame are evident in the schoolyard, with graffiti on the walls and another Council Member sporting Tracy’s signature hairdo. During a game of dodge ball, a jealous Amber knocks Tracy out, and Link rushes to her side.

Penny and Seaweed, who have developed a liking for each other, rush to fetch the school nurse, only to find her out sick. Seaweed, suggesting that some fun would make Tracy feel better, invites all of them to his mother’s record shop for a platter party (“Run and Tell That!”). At the shop, Tracy rallies everyone to march against the station on the following day’s Mother-Daughter Day, as blacks are not allowed on the show except for the monthly Negro Day. Before they start, Motormouth Maybelle convinces the initially reluctant Edna and Wilbur to march as well. During the protest, led by Motormouth, Velma calls the police and fights break out. When the police arrive on the scene, almost everyone is arrested (“Big, Blonde, and Beautiful”). Act II After the march, most of the women are locked up in a women’s penitentiary (“The Big Dollhouse”). Because of Velma’s dirty tactics, the governor pardons and releases both her and Amber. Wilbur bails out the remaining people, excluding Tracy who is forced to remain in jail through another one of Velma’s manipulations.

Tracy is alone and wishes that Link could be with her (“Good Morning Baltimore” (Reprise)). Back at the Har-De-Har Hut (Wilbur’s joke shop), Wilbur and Edna are left destitute because of the money it cost them to bail everyone out and with Tracy still in prison. Edna sympathizes with her daughter’s dream – she had dreamt of making her “own line of queen-sized dress patterns”. She and Wilbur reminisce about their past and how they can never be parted from each other (“(You’re) Timeless to Me”). During the night, Link sneaks into the jail where he finds Tracy in solitary confinement. As Link and Tracy reunite, Penny’s mother, Prudy, punishes Penny for “going to jail without her permission” and ties her up in her bedroom where Seaweed comes to her rescue. Both couples declare their love for one another (“Without Love”). After escaping from their respective prisons, the couples seek refuge at Motormouth Maybelle’s Record Shop. Tracy thinks that it is unfair that after all of their hard work, The Corny Collins Show is still segregated.

They devise a plan to help integrate the show, and Motormouth remembers their long fight for equality (“I Know Where I’ve Been”). On the day of the Miss Teenage Hairspray competition, Corny Collins starts the show with a song (“It’s) Hairspray”). Amber shows off her talents in a bid to get more votes from the viewers (“Cooties”). Just as the results are about to be announced, Tracy takes over the stage, and is joined by Link, Penny (now transformed from drool to cool), Seaweed, Edna, Wilbur, Little Inez, and Motormouth. Tracy is declared the winner of the competition and she declares The Corny Collins Show officially integrated. When all is announced, Mr. Spritzer runs onstage thrilled with the public’s response to the telecast and announces that the governor has pardoned Tracy and he offers Link a recording contract and Velma the position of vice president of Ultra Glow – beauty products for women of color. Prudy arrives at the station and, seeing how happy Penny is with Seaweed, accepts her daughter for who she is. At the height of the moment, the company invites Amber and Velma to join the celebration.

With the station in joyous celebration, Tracy and Link cement their love with a kiss (“You Can’t Stop the Beat”). Background According to interviews included as an extra feature on the 2007 film’s DVD release, theatre producer Margo Lion first conceived of Hairspray as a stage musical in 1998 after seeing a television broadcast of the original film. She contacted John Waters, who gave her his blessing, then acquired the rights from New Line Cinema. Lion contacted Marc Shaiman, who expressed interest in the project only if his partner Scott Wittman could be included, and Lion agreed. The two submitted three songs – one of which, “Good Morning Baltimore,” eventually became the show’s opening number. Based on their initial work, Lion was confident that she had hired the right team.[4] Lion contacted Rob Marshall about directing the musical. At the time he was involved in negotiations to direct the screen adaptation of Chicago, but he agreed to become involved in the early development stages of Hairspray with the stipulation he would drop out if assigned the film. Marshall remembered Marissa Jaret Winokur from her brief appearance in the film American Beauty and arranged a meeting with Shaiman and Wittman.

The two immediately felt she was right for the role of Tracy Turnblad but were hesitant to commit without seeing any other auditions. They hired Winokur to work with them on the project with the understanding she might be replaced later. One year later, Winokur was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Certain she would lose the role if the creative team learned about her condition, she underwent chemotherapy and a hysterectomy without telling anyone but her immediate family. The treatment and surgery were successful, and Winokur returned to the project.[5] Meanwhile, Marshall had started work on Chicago, and Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell were hired by Lion to direct and choreograph, respectively. Winokur was one of the first to audition for the role of Tracy Turnblad and spent two years preparing with voice and dance lessons.[6] Tracy’s mother had been portrayed by Divine in the original film, and Shaiman liked the idea of maintaining the tradition of casting a male as Edna Turnblad. Harvey Fierstein auditioned for the role with a “half hour vocal audition” of “an entire concert”.

He thought they were “pacifying” him, but he was told “they don’t want anyone but you”.[7] According to Shaiman, one song, “I Know Where I’ve Been”, became controversial during the genesis of the score: “This was… inspired by a scene late in the [1988] movie that takes place on the black side of town. It never dawned on us that a torrent of protest would follow us from almost everyone involved with the show. ‘It’s too sad…. It’s too preachy…. It doesn’t belong…. Tracy should sing the eleven o’clock number.’ We simply didn’t want our show to be yet another show-biz version of a civil rights story where the black characters are just background. And what could be more Tracy Turnblad-like than to give the ‘eleven o’clock number’ to the black family at the heart of the struggle?

Luckily… the audiences embraced this moment, which enriches the happy ending to follow, and it is our proudest achievement of the entire experience of writing Hairspray”[8] Original Broadway Production After a tryout at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, Hairspray opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on August 15, 2002.[2] The production was directed by Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, with set design by David Rockwell, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner,sound design by Steve C. Kennedy, and the many distinctive wigs in the show by Paul Huntley. The original Broadway cast included Marissa Jaret Winokur and Harvey Fierstein in the lead roles of Tracy and Edna respectively. The cast also featured Matthew Morrison, Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Linda Hart, Mary Bond Davis, Corey Reynolds, Clarke Thorell, Danelle Eugenia Wilson, Jackie Hoffman, Joel Vig and Dick Latessa. Hairspray received Tony Award nominations in 12 categories, winning eight, including for Best Musical.

The production ran for more than six years and 2,642 performances, closing on January 4, 2009.[3] Original star Fierstein returned to the cast on November 11, 2008 and Winokur returned on December 9 for the final performances.[9][10] Original London Production The West End production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on October 11, 2007 for previews before its official opening on October 30. Michael Ball played Edna, with Mel Smith as Wilbur Turnblad, newcomer Leanne Jones as Tracy, Tracie Bennett as Velma, Paul Manuel as Corny Collins, Rachael Wooding as Amber, Elinor Collett as Penny, and Ben James-Ellis as Link.

The original creative team of the Broadway production, with director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, reunited for the London production.[11] The show garnered a record-setting eleven Olivier Award nominations[12] and won for Best New Musical, as well as acting awards for Best Actress and Actor in a musical (Jones and Ball).[13] The show closed on March 28, 2010 after a run of nearly two-and-a-half years and over 1,000 performances.[14] National Tours The First U.S. national tour started in September 2003 in Baltimore and ended in June 2006.[15] The touring production starred Carly Jibson as Tracy, Bruce Vilanch as Edna, Terrell Brooks as Seaweed, Sandra DeNise as Penny, Susan Cella as Velma, and Ramona Cole (soon replaced by Charlotte Crossley) as Motormouth Maybelle.[16] When the tour stopped in Los Angeles, Marissa Jaret Winokur reprised her role as Tracy, together with the original Broadway Link, Matthew Morrison.[17] In July 2006, a non-Equity U.S.

tour opened in Atlantic City’s Harrah’s Casino. The shorter “casino version” was used for this stop of the tour, but when it moved on, it continued with the full version of the show minus the character of Lorraine. The Tour played its final performance on April 25, 2010 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside,CA.[18] A summer engagement in the Far East will follow. After the West End production’s closing, Hairspray began touring the UK and the Republic of Ireland, starting at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on April 7, 2010, following previews from March 30. The tour stars Michael Ball, Brian Conley and Michael Starke alternating as Edna, Les Dennis, Nigel Planer and Micky Dolenz alternating as Wilbur and Laurie Scarth in the role of Tracy.[19] Las Vegas and Hairspray A Las Vegas production ran at the Luxor Hotel in 2006 starring Katrina Rose Dideriksen as Tracy, Austin Miller as Link, and Fierstein and Latessa reprising their roles as Edna and Wilbur Turnblad, respectively. This ninety-minute version was played in one act.

Cut songs included “The Big Dollhouse”, “(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs”, “Velma’s Revenge”, “Good Morning Baltimore (Reprise)”, and “Cooties”.[20] Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean International presents the show on their new ship MS Oasis of the Seas, which made its maiden sailing in December 2009. The show is performed in the ship’s 1350 seat Opal Theater three or four times on each seven night sailing. School Adaptation In August 2008, the British television channel Sky1 began broadcasting Hairspray: The School Musical, which followed the development of a North London comprehensive school’s production of Hairspray from audition to performance, with input from various actors and creatives, including members of the Broadway production team and the West End cast.[21] International Productions The first international production opened in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre in 2004 and ran for 245 performances.

Vanessa Olivarez, a former American Idol contestant, starred as Tracy, and Jay Brazeau starred as Edna.[22] Stephanie Pitsiladis, cast as the standby for Vanessa, is the first Canadian to have portrayed the role of Tracy Turnblad. The South African production opened in Johannesburg in October 2007 with the original direction and choreography recreated by Matt Lenz and Greg Graham. New set and costume designs were by Michael Bottari and Ronald Case.[23] A production in Buenos Aires, Argentina, opened on July 16, 2008 starring Enrique Pinti as Edna Turnblad. The role of Tracy was cast through a reality-competition show called Yo Quiero Ser la Protagonista de Hairspray(I Want to Be Hairspray’s Protagonist).[24] On November 14, 2008, Atlantis Productions opened a production of Hairspray in Manila in the Philippines, starring Madel Ching as Tracy Turnblad and Michael de Mesa as Edna Turnblad.

The production closed on December 7, 2008.[25] On July 10, 2009, a Brazilian production opened in Rio de Janeiro, starring Simone Gutierrez as Tracy, Edson Celulari as Edna, Jonatas Faro as Link Larkin, Arlete Salles as Velma and Daniele Winits as Amber. A tour has also been announced, with stops in São Paulo (February 2010), Brasilia, Curitiba and Porto Alegre. A Dutch production of the musical will be produced by V&V Entertainment for the 2009/2010 season. Edna Turnblad will be played by Arjan Ederveen, Link Larkin by Jim Bakkum (runner-up in the first season of the dutch American Idol). On December 6, 2009 a German production opened in Cologne. Edna Turnblad is played alternately by German actor Uwe Ochsenknecht and comedian Tetje Mierendorf. Tracy Turnblad is played by Maite Kelly, former member of The Kelly Family and Penny Pingleton by Jana Stelley.

The first production of Hairspray in German language however took place at the Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland. An Australian production of Hairspray is scheduled to open in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre in October 2010. It will be directed by David Atkins and choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance Australia judge Jason Coleman.[26] A transfer of the original Broadway/West End format of the show will open in Dubai later this year with Leanne Jones, from the West End production, reprising her role as Tracy Turnblad. Further casting to be announced.[27] Other productions opened in Canada, Finland, Japan, South Korea,[28] Italy, St. Gallen, Switzerland (in German) and Brazil.[29] The musical also played in Shanghai, China, at the Shanghai Grand Theatre in July 2008[30] and Stockholm, Sweden in September 2008. Other productions are planned for Puerto Rico,[31] Germany, France, Israel, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Mexico[32]. Hairspray has been translated into Finnish, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Portuguese.

Hairspray (2002 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording] Marc Shaiman, Harvey Fierstein, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Scott Wittman, Kerry Butler Score Revisions and Additional Songs Hairspray went through several revisions before and during its pre-Broadway run in Seattle, in the process eliminating and replacing several musical numbers. One of such songs, an infomercial about safety on the road titled “Blood on the Pavement”, followed “The Nicest Kids in Town”, and is included on the cast album. In early revisions, various songs, including “The Status Quo” and “Velma’s Cha-Cha” (its short reprise replaced by “Rage,” in turn dropped in favor of “Velma’s Revenge”), were used during Tracy’s audition and dismissal, but the team instead optioned for “(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs”, as the audience did not like seeing Tracy being verbally attacked after “I Can Hear the Bells”.[34] After the auditions, there was a scene in the Har-De-Har Hut in which Wilbur tried to cheer up Tracy after her rejection,[35] singing that “It Doesn’t Get Better than This”.

Later replaced by the similar “Positivity”, the scene was later cut from the show altogether as it was deemed emotionally redundant. After Tracy eventually made it on the show, there was a song “The New Girl in Town”, which was sung first by the black girls and later by the Council Girls. Although later cut early during the Seattle tryout, it was included in the 2007 movie and appears in the show’s instrumental score.[36] “The Mother-Daughter Cha-Cha-Cha” was another cut number that originally followed “Big, Blonde, and Beautiful”. Later, the writers absorbed the protest rally and Mother-Daughter Day into the number, thus deleting the song and compromising the sequence into a single scene.[37] A song called “Step on Up” was also cut in favor of “I Know Where I’ve Been”.[38] Early on in the genesis of the show, the plot involved a “Miss Auto Show” competition, as in the 1988 film, instead of “Miss Teenage Hairspray”.

For this competition, later revised due to the cost of cars onstage, there was a song called “Take a Spin” sung by Corny in the place where “(It’s) Hairspray” is now.[39] After Amber’s rendition of “Cooties”, Tracy had a song before the finale called “It Ain’t Over ‘Til the Fat Lady Sings,” though, it was cut after the third reading of the show; it was included restored as a track on the Special Edition of the 2007 motion picture’s soundtrack.[40] Critics According to Variety, Hairspray received thirteen favorable and four mixed reviews.[41] Charles Isherwood, in his Variety review wrote: “…this sweet, infinitely spirited, bubblegum-flavored confection won’t be lacking for buyers any time soon. Arriving in an aerosol fog of advance hype, it more than lives up to its promise.”[42] Ben Brantley wrote: “So what if it’s more than a little pushy in its social preaching?

Stocked with canny, deliriously tuneful songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and directed by Jack O’Brien with a common touch that stops short of vulgarity, ‘Hairspray’ is as sweet as a show can be without promoting tooth decay. …[it] succeeds in recreating the pleasures of the old-fashioned musical comedy without seeming old-fashioned. …Shaiman… is taking the infectious hooks and rhythms from period pop and R&B and translating them into the big, bouncy sound that Broadway demands…. And while the savvy arrangements… nod happily to Motown, Elvis, Lesley Gore ballads and standards like “Higher and Higher,” the score’s appeal isn’t nostalgic. It’s music that builds its own self-contained, improbably symmetrical world….”[43] New York’s Daily News wrote, “As Tracy, Marissa Jaret Winokur has the heft, the pipes and an enormously appealing stage presence.

Her dancing may not be as special as the plot suggests, but she wins your heart… With this role, Fierstein places himself in the great line of Broadway divas.”[44] Box Office and Business Hairspray opened with a $12 million advance; after the Tony Awards show (in June 2003), it was expected to do five times the business it normally did on a Monday.[45] The entire $10.5 million investment was recouped by May 2003 (approximately 9 months after its Broadway opening).[46] For 2002-03 it averaged 99% capacity; for 2007 it averaged 86 %.[47] 2007 Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards Best Musical (winner) Most Promising Newcomer – Leanne Jones (The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer)(winner) 2007 Olivier Award Best Actress in a Musical – Leanne Jones (winner) Best Actor in a Musical – Michael Ball (winner) Best Supporting Actress in a Musical – Tracie Bennett (winner) Best Supporting Actress in a Musical – Elinor Collett (nominee) Best

 Director – Jack O’Brien (nominee) Best Theatre Choreographer – Jerry Mitchell (nominee) Best Lighting Design – Kenneth Posner (nominee) Best Set Design – David Rockwell (nominee) Best Costume Design – William Ivey Long (nominee) Best Sound Design – Steve C.

Kennedy (nominee) 2007 Evening Standard Awards[48][49] Ned Sherrin Award for Best New Musical (winner) References 1. Waters, John (August 11, 2002). “THEATER; Finally, Footlights On the Fat Girls”. The NewYork Times . Retrieved 2009-01-12. 2. Jones, Kenneth (May 21, 2002). “Playbill News: A New ‘Do: Capacity of Neil Simon Theatre Will Increase for Hairspray”. Playbill.com . Retrieved February 11, 2009. 3. Jones, Kenneth (January 4, 2009). “Playbill News: Broadway’s Hairspray Has Its Final Spritz Jan. 4”. Playbill.com . Retrieved February 11, 2009. 4. New York Times article, Robin Pogrebin, October 16, 2002 5. undated interview [dead} 6. “Marissa Jaret Winokur” Encyclopedia of World Biography , accessed February 8, 2010 7.

Limsky, Drew.”Everything’s Coming Up ‘Hairspray'”, The Advocate , July 23, 2002 8. The Roots, p. 142 9. Gans, Andrew. “Hairspray to Close Jan. 4, 2009; Fierstein Returns Nov. 11”, playbill.com , October 22, 2008 10. Jones, Kenneth. “Tony Award Winner Winokur Will Return to Broadway’s Hairspray”, playbill.com November 18, 2008 11. “Hairspray Begins London Run” Playbill.com , October 11, 2007 12. “London Hairspray Breaks Record With 11 Olivier Award Nominations” playbill.com , February 6, 2008 13. [1] Official London Theatre, March 9, 2008 14. “‘Hairspray’ Posts London Closing Notices” whatsonstage.com , 28 March 16. [3] playbill, July 22, 2003 17.

“Hairspray Teases LA” (BroadwayWorld) broadwayworld.com 18. Official U.S. tour website 19. Shenton, Mark.”Casting Confirmed for U.K. Tour of Hairspray; Olivier Winner Michael Ball Returns” playbill.com , February 8, 2010 20. Interview with Marc Shaiman on 90 Minute version broadway.com 21. Shenton, Mark (2008-08-31). “Students Perform Hairspray in London Aug. 31 as “Hairspray: The School Musical” TV Series Begins”. Playbill.com . . Retrieved 2008-09-07. 22. Information about the 2005 Toronto production playbill.com 23. South African production website hairspray.co.za 24. (Spanish)”Lágrimas y aplausos para quien será Tracy”. La Nación . 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-05-15. (Dead) 25. Hairspray Manila on November to December 2008. 28.

South Korea production website 29. Hairspray in Manila atlantisproductionsinc.com 30. Hairspray China Website 31. Puerto Rico production website , 2008 32. Mexico production website , 2010 33. Hairspray about the Show hairspraythemusical.com.au 34. The Roots, p. 59 35. The Roots, p. 62 36. Review of Hairspray during its pre-Broadway run 37. The Roots, p. 109 38. The Roots, pp. 142-43 39. The Roots, p. 149 40. “Dear Listener”, Note included in the Special Edition of the 2007 Hairspray Movie Soundtrack 41. Variety, September 23, 2002 – September 29, 2002, “Critics’ Taly” [sic], Legit., p. 88 42. Variety, August 16, 2002, p. 2 43.

New York Times, Ben Brantley, August 16, 2002, Section E, Part 1, Column 1 44. Kissel, Howard. New York Daily News, August 16, 2002, p. 55 45. playbill.com article, June 9, 2003 46. playbill.com article, May 30, 2003 47. broadwayworld grosses for Hairspray 48. Nathan, John.”Stewart’s Macbeth and Hairspray Triumph at London Evening Standard Awards” playbill.com , November 27, 2007 49. Evening Standard winners, Thisislondon.com , November 28, 2007 50. Hairspray official website 51. Hairspray at the Internet Broadway Database 52. Production: Hairspray Working in the Theatre seminar video at American Theatre Wing , December 2002 53. Hairspray plot summary & character descriptions from StageAgent.com 54.

Extensive plot synopsis and links to song lyrics all musicals.com THEATER REVIEW: 'Hairspray' | Arts and Entertainment | Your Observer Arts and Entertainment Monday, Nov. 25, 2013 3 years ago THEATER REVIEW: 'Hairspray' Share by: Marty Fugate Contributing Columnist At Venice Theatre, the year is 1962, the soundtrack is rock ’n’ roll, the city is Baltimore, and the main stage musical is “Hairspray.” “Hairspray” (in case you missed the 1988 John Waters movie) tells the tale of Tracy Turnblad (Alyssa Goudy). She’s a plus-sized high school girl who dreams of getting a shot on "The Corny Collins Show" — a local knockoff of "American Bandstand" — where teens dance to the latest Top-40 hits on camera. Tracy not only gets on the show, she finds true love, launches her career, gets a college scholarship and strikes a blow for integration. Along the way, the musical makes a message. People of different colors or dress sizes shouldn’t be second-class citizens.

Heavy truth, delivered in a lighter-than-air tone — as light as, well, hairspray. (What’s in those aerosol cans the cast was constantly spraying, anyway?) But the after-school-special point never gets in the way of the fun. And what’s more fun than a movie? The musical has movie DNA, after all. Director/choreographer Brad Wages makes you feel like you’re watching a movie that just happens to be on stage. (As it’s been said, a good movie moves.) The pace never drags in his production. It’s snappy, with excellent comic timing. Under Wages’ direction, the cast fires off the comic patter and dances up a storm — but the individuals never get lost in that storm. It really is all about character. The source material shares DNA with "American Graffiti" — well-drawn characters — with bold outlines — set against a troubled time that still pushes our nostalgia buttons. Goudy is excellent as Tracy — the hefty girl who could. She truly sells her bubbly, high-energy character: Goudy’s performance never feels like a put-on. Tracy’s parents (Joseph Giglia as the gag shop proprietor dad and Timothy J.

Fitzgerald in the obligatory drag performance as mom) are endearing in a surrealistic, sitcom way. Dick Baker plays Tracy’s love interest (Link Larkin, the Baby Elvis of 1962 Baltimore) with a suitably aw-shucks lack of guile. David P. Brown does a nice turn as Corny Collins, the dance show program’s host. (Turns out, Corny’s not a slick-talking head after all. A heroic DJ — this may be a first!) Nancy Denton and Antoinette Gagliano portray the enemies of the love-one-another-right-now future; Denton is the Cruella de Vil mom who produces "The Corny Collins Show"; Gagliano is the stuck-up daughter hogging camera time. Fine performances, all. The supporting characters (Syreeta Banks as Motormouth Maybelle and Allison Pickens as Penny, to name a few) are equally fine. These characters come to life against goofy, stylized sets by Christopher A.D. Parrish while dressed in over-the-top costumes by Stephanie Gift. Yes, there really was a time when the beehive was a hairdo. You can see it live, on the Venice Theatre stage!

The musical laughs at the past — and laughs with it. It lets you in on the joke. It gives you nostalgia, too. But it always gets back to people. Flash and fluff aside, the musical is about individuals. They’re stylized to be sure — but you feel the reality beneath the evanescent characterizations. Young, talented black people pushing back against limits. Smiling TV hosts who don’t want to play the stooge. Young women with stage presence who just happen to be a little overweight. “Hairspray” is a feel-good story that happens to be honest. And far too much fun. IF YOU GO “Hairspray” runs through Dec. 8, at Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave. Call 488-1115 or visit venicestage.com for more information.

Question: The film and stage musical Hairspray is set in which US City?
Answer: BALTIMORE